Eternal Flames: Fires That Have Been Burning for Years

Imagine a fire that never goes out, burning for years or even centuries without stopping. It might sound like something from a fantasy story, but these fires are real and exist in various parts of our world. I want to tell you about these amazing long-burning fires, often called “eternal flames.” These natural wonders can be found in different places, from underground coal seams to rocky crevices in mountains.

In this post, I’ll explain what causes these endless fires and share some fascinating examples from around the globe.

Centralia Mine Fire

Image Credit: “warning.JPG” by Lyndi&Jason is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.

The Centralia Mine Fire in Pennsylvania, USA, has been burning since 1962. It started when people tried to burn trash in an old coal mine. The fire spread to underground coal seams and has been burning ever since. This fire forced most of the town’s residents to leave.

Today, Centralia is almost a ghost town, with only a few people still living there. Smoke and steam can sometimes be seen coming out of cracks in the ground.

Door to Hell

Image Credit: “Darvaza gas crater #3” by Tormod Sandtorv is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.

The Door to Hell is a natural gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan. It’s been on fire since 1971 when Soviet scientists set it on fire to stop the spread of methane gas. They thought it would burn out in a few weeks, but it’s still going strong over 50 years later.

The crater is about 70 meters wide and glows bright orange at night. It’s become a popular tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world to see its impressive flames.

Jharia Coal Field Fires

Image Credit: “The delegation in the Jharia coal field” by international accountability project is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.

The Jharia coalfield in Jharkhand, India, has been burning for over 100 years. These fires started in 1916 and have affected a large area of valuable coal reserves. The fires cause major problems for people living nearby, including health issues from the smoke and dangerous ground collapses.

Despite efforts to put them out, many of these fires continue to burn, releasing harmful gases into the air and making it hard for plants to grow in the area.

Brennender Berg

Image Credit: “Brennender berg felsoeffnungen 2009” by Elya is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse.

Brennender Berg, which means “Burning Mountain” in German, is located in Saarland, Germany. This underground coal seam fire has been burning since 1668. It’s believed to have started naturally, possibly due to a lightning strike.

The fire doesn’t produce visible flames, but steam and smoke can be seen rising from cracks in the rocks. The area around the fire is noticeably warmer, and snow melts quickly here in winter. Local legends and stories have grown up around this long-burning fire over the centuries.

Smoking Hills

Image Credit: “File: Smoking Hills AXW 0302.jpg” by Ansgar Walk is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0?ref=openverse.

The Smoking Hills are found on the Arctic coast of Canada’s Northwest Territories. These hills have been smoldering for hundreds of years due to naturally occurring lignite, a type of coal, that spontaneously ignites when exposed to air. The burning creates colorful mineral formations and sends steam rising from the frozen landscape.

Yanar Dag

Image Credit: “Yanar Dag – Flaming Hillside” by indigoprime is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Yanar Dag, which means “Burning Mountain” in Azerbaijani, is a natural gas fire on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan. This fire has been burning continuously since the 1950s. It’s fueled by natural gas seeping from the ground. The flames reach up to 3 meters high along a 10-meter stretch of the hillside.

Mount Erebus Lava Lake

Image Credit: “Mount Erebus Aerial 2” by jeaneeem is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Mount Erebus in Antarctica is home to one of the world’s few permanent lava lakes. This volcano has been active for about 1.3 million years. The lava lake in its crater has been constantly bubbling and churning since at least 1972. Despite being in one of the coldest places on Earth, the lake stays molten because of the intense heat from deep underground.

Scientists study this rare phenomenon to learn more about volcanic activity and Earth’s inner workings. The contrast between the fiery lava and the icy surroundings makes for a stunning sight.

Powder River Basin Coal Seam Fires

Image Credit: “Clinker horizon (Wasatch Formation, Lower Eocene; coal fire metamorphism at 19 ka, Late Pleistocene; hills east of Buffalo, Powder River Basin, Wyoming, USA)” by James St. John is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The Powder River Basin, stretching across Wyoming and Montana in the USA, is home to several long-burning coal seam fires. Some of these fires have been burning for decades. They started naturally, often due to lightning strikes or spontaneous combustion of coal exposed at the surface.

Chimaera Flames

Image Credit: “At Chimaera/Yanartas or the Eternal flames” by GOC53 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The Chimaera flames, located on Mount Chimaera in Turkey, have been burning for thousands of years. These natural gas fires emerge from cracks in the rocky ground. They’re fueled by methane seeping up from deep underground. Ancient sailors used these flames as a natural lighthouse.

15 Things Gen Z Does Differently Than Millennials

Image credit: Ron Lach/Pexels

15 Things Gen Z Does Differently Than Millennials

18 Rarest Dog Breeds You Can Own

Image Credit: Simona Kidrič on Pexels

18 Rarest Dog Breeds You Can Own

18 Nasty Foods That Do More Harm Than Good

Image Credits: Дарья Яковлева from Pixabay

18 Nasty Foods That Do More Harm Than Good

Mary Apurong

Mary Apurong is an experienced writer and editor who enjoys researching topics related to lifestyle and creating content on gardening, food, travel, crafts, and DIY. She spends her free time doing digital art and watching documentaries. Check out some of her works on Mastermind Quotes.